Some tapped their pencils against the pew backs as they sought the right words to express how they felt about the person sitting beside them.

Wives. Husbands.

All are spouses who may not have personally signed on the dotted line to commit their lives to Uncle Sam, but certainly have become a part of Army life as a result of marrying a soldier.

"I think this is pretty neat," said Joy Lyon, an Army wife who has been married to Sgt. Christopher Lyon for 11 years.

When he leaves Monday, it will be the couple's fourth deployment.

"Men don't always communicate what they're thinking," she said. "So this means a lot to me, especially because he is gone so much."

A few minutes later, the Lyons each claimed a piece of a silver Mitzpah coin and affixed it to the other's neck.

"May the Lord keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other." They each whispered the Old Testament verse from Genesis 31:49 into the other's ear.

All across the large chapel, other couples did the same.

Just about every couple sealed the promise with a kiss, before ending the evening with the renewal of their wedding vows.

Army strong

Earlier this year, the installation began holding coin covenant ceremonies for departing units as a way to acknowledge the toll the 3rd Infantry Division's operations tempo was having on military families.

What started with a handful of military police soldiers and their spouses just before deployment this past summer since has grown to the 120 couples gathered from the Division's 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team, which cased its colors just hours earlier as the main body departs for Kuwait and then Iraq.

"The key thing with the coin covenant is it gives couples the opportunity to talk to each other and about the commitment they have made to each other," said Maj. Barton Herndon, the brigade chaplain. "And it allows them to do it in a way that is tangible."

The covenant ceremony included a small index card, where each person was asked to write out their commitment to their spouse. The participants then shared what they had written - and then presented a copy of their words to their partner.

Sniffles sometimes echoed as couples got emotional sharing these thoughts that are often kept buried inside.

It was an emotion intensified by the reality: A week from now, most of the soldiers will be long gone as their deployment clocks start ticking down the next 12 months.

No promise of tomorrow

"I think this is awesome," said Jennifer Uhri, who is married to Spc. John Uhri.

She said she heard about the covenant ceremony at a family readiness group - or FRG - meeting. "I think it helps keep the family together," added her husband, as he bounced their 2-month-old son, Jaxon, in his arms.

Sgt. 1st Class Solomon King, and his wife of seven years, Nguyen, agreed. "It's great to have support in every which way we can," said the non-commissioned officer.

"I will try not to watch CNN and just put my faith and trust in God," his wife added.

The couple hopes to participate in the daily devotionals Col. Roger Cloutier, the brigade's commander, made for his troops.

"We don't know what tomorrow brings," Cloutier said. "This is a chance to renew our vows and commit to each other ... before we go on this 12-month journey."